Some jobs involve risks. Some defy death.
“The job of professional astronauts is to realize that this could cost their lives,” Colonel Chris Hadfield said at 7:30 a.m.
“But I believe space travel is worth it, and that’s why I risked my life three times.”
Colonel Chris Hadfield landed in Kazakhstan when he returned from the International Space Station in 2013. (Reuters: Mikhail Metzel)
His comments come after NASA announced that two of its astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, will spend an unscheduled nine months on the ISS after their Boeing-built spacecraft failed its first crewed flight.
Colonel Hadfield should know. He rose to fame as commander of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013 when his cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity went viral.
Colonel Hadfield participated in three missions, helped build two space stations, conducted two spacewalks, served as a crew member on the Shuttle and Soyuz, and spent six months off-planet as commander of the International Space Station in 2013.
“It’s a fantastic human experience to travel around the world 16 times a day and see our entire planet without a filter,” he said.
The retired astronaut and author spoke at 7.30 about the physiological and psychological endurance required to survive long stays in space.
Life on board the ISS
Commander Wilmore and Captain Williams will not return to Earth until February 2025. (Credit: NASA)
“The space station is about the size of a large six-bedroom house,” said ANU astrophysicist Dr. Brad Tucker at 7.30am.
“So there is space, but a lot of that space is taken up by equipment.
“It gets cozy, but it also wears you out.”
Since docking, Commander Wilmore and Captain Williams have had to share the cramped space and supplies with the existing international crew.
“The ISS has six beds and two bathrooms, but because there is no gravity there, you don’t need a bed: the definition of a bed or a bedroom is somewhat arbitrary,” Colonel Hadfield told 7.30.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has docked with the International Space Station. (Credit: NASA)
“The limitations of the space station are how much air it can process and clean and how quickly it can recycle water,” he said.
“We recycle almost 100 percent of the water and have large food reserves up there, enough to last about a year.”
But two unscheduled arrivals have NASA bosses planning to send more deliveries.
“Nobody had to go on a diet or restrict their calories, so we had no restrictions whatsoever,” NASA’s ISS program manager Dana Weigel told reporters on Saturday.
There are also plenty of extra supplies in case the astronauts need them.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore before boarding the Boeing Starliner on June 5. (AP: Chris O’Meara)
“And as for clothing, we keep a large stock of underwear – there are socks, underpants, T-shirts and things like that,” said Colonel Hadfield.
“And because you’re floating weightless, they’re not rubbed into your body to absorb your body’s sweat and oils.
“I wore the same pants almost the entire time in space and when I was done, they were just as clean as if they had been hanging in the closet.”
Risk of “unforeseeable consequences”
Dr. Brad Tucker says that such a long stay in space could have health consequences for the astronauts. (Source: Tracey Nearmy/ANU)
The weightlessness in space can also be extremely harmful, especially for the body and mind.
ANU astrophysicist Dr Brad Tucker said at 7.30am that there were “enormous” health implications.
“On a two-week mission, there are small but long-term effects – six months in space, we already know, is equivalent to 20 years of bone density loss; your brain chemistry and physiology changes,” Dr. Tucker told 7.30.
“To get that back, you need about three years for every six months in space, and those are the easy things.”
NASA plans to send additional supplies to the International Space Station for the stranded astronauts. (NASA)
NASA studies have shown that astronauts can suffer from increased radiation exposure, vision problems and muscle atrophy after several months on the ISS.
“For Butch and Suni, this will have unforeseeable consequences for their future,” said Dr. Tucker.
Ms. Weigel acknowledged that NASA does not know “how long is too long for astronauts to stay in space,” but said there are no particular concerns for a period of “up to a year.”
“We can tell you that we understand what 12 months does. We’re interested in going from the Moon to Mars, and those are some of our research goals and what we want to learn in the microgravity environment,” she said.
“Every day is another gift”
Colonel Chris Hadfield says a trip into space is worth the risk. (720 ABC Perth: Emma Wynne)
Colonel Hadfield explained at 7:30 a.m. that a career astronaut requires a lifetime of preparation and that both Commander Wilmore and Captain Williams were well prepared for all the challenges that lay ahead.
“We don’t randomly select people, put them in a spaceship and send them to the space station,” he told 7.30.
“The selection process for professional astronauts is extremely rigorous, and in one of NASA’s recent applications, 18,000 people applied for 10 positions.
Colonel Chris Hadfield juggles tomatoes aboard the International Space Station in 2013. (Reuters: NASA)
“They also (must) have the right psychology and physiology to be able to complete an entire career.
“I believe there is a difference in perception among many people who do not train and do not dedicate their lives to being professional astronauts. In fact, that is what we strive for and every day in space is another gift.”
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